Need some help choosing a provider

[Hole69]

I'm switching from DDL (very broken now) and I think I'll go for Newshosting - $100 for a year and blocknews. Opinions? I'm setting up sabnzb on Debian (squeeze) system. Do I need anything else?

[Hypatia]

Everything that is said about Supernews can be applied to Newshosting(Higwinds reseller)


Supernews:

+fast support
+great speed
+almost nonexistent technical problems


-DMCA takedowns(mostly HBO tv shows - they remove 1-3 blocks from every file so usually it can be repaired without the help of the block account; console games that are uploaded under their full titles- now this one is bad. 100% removal. Not all of course and they get reposted often but still)+ sometimes some mega popular blockbuster shite(occasinally)
- uploading is not safe( they can ban your account for posting to usenet copyrighted material if they get complaints(two strikes policy)

Astraweb:

+little to none DMCA takedowns
+generally very good speed(but sometimes you have to try direct server's ip addesses to get more juice)
+safe uploading

-somewhat slow in terms of responce support
-from time to time they have technical glitches that ruin files. ( atm they have 200 days fucked up (out of 1200 mind you, so not that large) this is where block account comes into play

The most popular combos atm are:

1) supernews($9.99/month $99/year (http://www.supernews.com/super-special/)) + blocknews account (http://billing.blocknews.net/signup.php?price_group=-2)(9$/100Gb)

2) Astraweb ( $11/month (http://www.news.astraweb.com/specials/kleverig-11.html) $96/year (http://www.news.astraweb.com/specials/voucher.cgi?t=zgufplhxfr2cwsw)) + blocknews account (http://billing.blocknews.net/signup.php?price_group=-2)(9$/100Gb)

+ you can also use as backup server xsusenet (http://www.xsusenet.com/en/)(it covers 390 days and its free)

if you dont plan on
1)downloading lots of console games
2)uploading stuff

then i suppose you could go for SN or NH + xsusenetn+blocknews

NH used to have general completion problem in addition to DMCA takedowns but i have no idea if they've fixed it

PS and take with a grain of salt everything that nntpjunkie posts- he has a newshosting affiliate program running on his site and is known for promoting it =))

[MultiForce]

I'm downloading 500GB-1TB a month and use SuperNews and Astraweb + a free xsusenet account.

I'm on a 100mbps connection and use 10 connections to each server (AW EU, AW US and SN) + the 2 connections to xsusenet. A lot of connections but it's mostly to be sure I max out my connection all the time.

Never any problems with missing articles or other stuf unless the poster messed up.

I'm using Newsbin though but used sab before and I don't think there's much difference.

[shakezilla]

which would you choose if you only had to pick one to start multi?? (tv, movies, console stuff mainly)

[Hole69]

Thanks; in sabnzb do I set Newshosting as primary and blocknews as optional or backup? I mostly download films, and only PC games, so the console problem isn't an issue for me.

[MultiForce]

which would you choose if you only had to pick one to start multi?? (tv, movies, console stuff mainly)

I would go for AstraWeb since GigaNews(/SuperNews) has some problems with DMCA takedowns.

[hdjunky]

Newshosting sucks...well any highwinds sucks. Get blocknews to backup someone else. I use frugal usenet for 60 a year since I get everything as it is posted so 300 days retention is perfect.

[Hole69]

Newshosting sucks...well any highwinds sucks. Get blocknews to backup someone else. I use frugal usenet for 60 a year since I get everything as it is posted so 300 days retention is perfect.

Sucks why? Your experience or generally? And why?

[hdjunky]

Newshosting sucks...well any highwinds sucks. Get blocknews to backup someone else. I use frugal usenet for 60 a year since I get everything as it is posted so 300 days retention is perfect.

Sucks why? Your experience or generally? And why?

Many years ago they were great because they were an independent system. A big company called highwinds bought them as well as some other smaller independents over the years. I think anything highwinds touches they run into the ground. But also...since highwinds is so large they have the target on their back so they get a boatload of removal requests so they gotta take things off of all there servers. I just choose not to do business with them when there are smaller providers without the big corporation attitudes and exposure. That almost makes me sound like a corporation h
hating hippy! Lol. Oh and the highwinds troll that posts here and elsewhere takes my dislike even further :D

[Hole69]

what type of provider, your need?

Looking for a year account, unlimited, 20 connections or so, mostly for music and films. So, Astraweb then?

[Hole69]

Well, its down to either Usenetnow or Astraweb? Astra looks like its full of glitches, so I'm leaning towards usenetnow - opinions (again)?

[Hypatia]

whatever provider you choose you HAVE to choose also a backup one.(block account)
And they must be different(obviously)

Usenetnow is good.
But they tend to have slower speed on older files and overall the speed is not consistent(where i could get 6MB utilizing 10 connections on AW i needed 30 connections to do the same on usenetnow, and it was fluctuating. But if you have less than 50mbit line than i suppose usenetnow would be more than OK
but then you would have to choose a backup provider.. and that leaves us only with astraweb block account and comparing AW's and blocknews block pricing.. well.. AW is not gonna win..though u could get 180Gb for $25

[Hole69]

My download speed is barely 2MB/s, so I'll go with usenetnow + blocknews; astraweb seems to be full of glitches. I set blocknews as backup, and usenetnow as primary in sabnzbd?

[Hypatia]

usenetnow + blocknews

you cant do that,they are the same company

PS AW is not full of glitches =)

[Hole69]

What about usenetserver + blocknews?

[Hypatia]

usenetserver= Highwinds (newshosting etc)

tbh its pretty simple..

usenetnow +astraweb block
astraweb+blocknews block

if you dont care about console games and posting to usenet then go for supernews+blocknews

if you are so put off by astraweb then just get usenetnow for a month and try it without a paid block account(just get free xsusenet it will cover up to 400 days)

[Hole69]

I'm going for Astraweb + blocknews then. Should the primary server be the eu or US one?

[Hypatia]

it depends which works faster for you. =)
as for general setup it should be something like this (http://filesharingtalk.com/threads/444148-Proper-Servers-Setup-VS-Incompletes)
if you set up the second AW server as optional not backup then you could play with the number of connections assigned to EU and US server.12/2,13/5, 15/5(EU is main) or whatever suits you best,

You should set just enough connections to get max speed. Setting up more than necessary wont do you any good

Dont order yearly plan. Pay per month. This way if you dont like it then simply go for another provider.

[shakezilla]

but its like a 40$ difference paying for the year vs monthly

[Hypatia]

$36 =)

you can always upgrade ur account to yearly plan if you like the service

Just dont create new login password when you make a payment and send them email with the order number

[Hole69]

I've got a link for $96 yearly only unlimited from Astraweb. As I'll be using it nearly every day, one year it is.

Its done. Everything is running smoothly. Set astraweb eu with ssl as primary (18 connections) and astraweb us ssl as backup (2 connections). Now on to blocknews. Thanks again for the help!.

Further update, switched eu and US servers, slightly faster. Impressed that the speed is more or less constant, unlike filehosts which went up and down like a yoyo.

[silentwolf98]

i'm on astraweb, so good so far..

where is astra located anyways? because they hardly ever get DMCA takedowns i've heard...must be somewhere in europe i bet

[hdjunky]

i'm on astraweb, so good so far..

where is astra located anyways? because they hardly ever get DMCA takedowns i've heard...must be somewhere in europe i bet

They have servers in the usa I really don't think it matters where their little office is. If they get them and don't want their equipment seized they will comply with it.

[cola]

Astraweb's office is in Singapore, but Megaupload's takedown shows that doesn't always matter. They had US servers, which was enough.